And an amazing start to Quarter 2!

Can you believe we are already heading into October and nearing the end of Quarter 1? It feels like we were just welcoming our Lions back to campus, and now we are already wrapping up our first quarter of learning, growing, and making memories together!

The first several weeks of school have been filled with so many wonderful moments—from building classroom communities and establishing strong routines to family events, celebrations, and lots of learning. We are incredibly proud of the hard work our students and staff have put in and grateful for the continued support and partnership of our Sunrise families.

As Quarter 1 comes to a close, Parent-Teacher Conferences are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress, talk about areas for continued growth, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. We truly believe that when families, students, and staff work together, our Lions shine even brighter!

October is shaping up to be another exciting and busy month at Sunrise, with plenty of opportunities to learn, connect, celebrate, and have some fun along the way. Be sure to check out all of the important dates and happenings in this month’s newsletter so you don’t miss a thing!

Thank you for being such an important part of our Sunrise community.

❤️💛 Together We Shine! 💛❤️

October at a Glance

October is National Principal, Audiology Awareness, & Hispanic Heritage Month

Thursday 10/1

National Poetry Day

Friday 10/2

National Custodial Worker Recognition Day
1st Quarter Ends

Week of 10/5-10/9 is our Scholastic Book Fair

Monday 10/5

2nd Quarter Begins

Tuesday 10/6

Be Kind Visiting Students at Lunch
6pm DVUSD Governing Board Meeting

Wednesday 10/7

Arizona Early Voting Begins

Thursday 10/8

1/2 Day for Parent Teacher Conferences

Friday 10/9

1/2 Day for Parent Teacher Conferences

Week of 10/12-10/16 No School for Fall Break

Week of 10/19-10/23 National Chemistry, Character Counts, & Bus Safety Week

Monday 10/19

Candy Collection Class Competition begins

Wednesday 10/21

4-8pm Sonic Fundraiser

Thursday 10/22

Fall Picture Retakes

Week of 10/26-10/30 DVUSD Celebrates National Principal Week

Tuesday 10/27

World Occupational Therapy Day
Kona Ice at Lunch for Grades 2-6

Wednesday 10/28

6th Graders visit Desert Sky for a Performing Arts presentation

Thursday 10/29

5:30-6:30 Trunk or Treat

Saturday 10/31

Halloween

🎃 Trunk or Treat is Coming to Sunrise! 🍬👻

Get those costumes ready! Our Sunrise Trunk or Treat is back on Thursday, October 29 from 5:30–6:30 PM, and we can’t wait for an evening filled with candy, games, creative trunks, and family fun!

Class Candy Math Challenge: Beginning October 19, students can bring in individually wrapped candy to help stock our Trunk or Treat. This year, we’re adding some learning to the fun! Classes will weigh their candy donations in ounces, track their totals, compare amounts, and watch the competition grow. The class that collects the MOST ounces of candy by October 29 will earn a special reward!

We Need Trunks & Games! The more trunks, the better! We are looking for Sunrise families, staff, and community members who would like to decorate a trunk or host a game. You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you'd like—every trunk and game helps make the night extra special for our Lions!

Sign up to host a trunk or game: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSd02LTbhz6.../viewform...

We can't wait to see our Sunrise community come together for a SPOOKTACULAR evening!

Releasing Students

A valid photo ID is always required for anyone checking out a student, no matter the reason. The person must also be listed on the student’s approved contact list in order for us to release the student.
Students may arrive no earlier than 7:58 a.m.
On Full School Days, students cannot be signed out after 2:30 p.m.
On Early Release Fridays, students cannot be signed out after 1:00 p.m.
Reminder- All drop off needs to be on the blue line (not in front of the school entrance). Please make sure to pull all the way up by the gym. Also, please do not park in drop off lines.

🚗Car Line

Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe, smooth, and efficient for all of our Sunrise Lions! 🦁 Please review these important reminders:

🌅 Morning Drop-Off — Grades K–6

All K–6 vehicles must follow the BLUE line through the outer loop near the parking lot.
Please pull ALL the way forward to the gate by the gym. Do not stop early, even if there is an open space closer to where you enter the loop.
Students should exit the vehicle once you have pulled forward. Parents should remain in their vehicles.
Coach Bummer is stationed near the gym gate to help students cross safely.
The inner loop near the office is ONLY for families with an Early Childhood car tag.
Only families with an Early Childhood car tag may stop and get out of their vehicle for drop-off.

🌇 After-School Pick-Up

Gold Kindergarten and Early Childhood car tags: Use the inner loop near the office.
Blue car tags: Use the outer loop near the parking lot and follow the blue line.
Please have your car tag clearly visible so staff can quickly identify your student(s).
Always pull ALL the way forward before stopping.
Only families with an Early Childhood car tag may stop and get out of their vehicle during pick-up.

🚸 Crosswalk & No-Stopping Zone Safety

For the safety of our students, vehicles may NOT park, stop, wait, load, or unload in the posted NO STOPPING zones near our crosswalks. These areas must remain clear so drivers have an unobstructed view of students and families crossing the street.
ALL students and families must use designated crosswalks when crossing the street. Please do not cross between parked vehicles, walk diagonally across the street, or allow students to cross outside of a designated crosswalk—even when accompanied by an adult.
We need everyone’s help modeling safe pedestrian practices for our Lions. Please take the few extra moments to walk to and use the crosswalk every time. 🚸

If you are in need of a car tag, please let the office or your child's teacher know so that we can help arrival and dismissal be efficient.

Following these procedures helps us keep traffic moving and, most importantly, keeps our students, families, and staff safe. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and commitment to keeping Sunrise safe!

Together We Shine! 🦁❤️💛

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences are right around the corner! 🦁❤️💛 We encourage all families to sign up for a conference time with your child’s teacher.

Conferences are an important part of the partnership between home and school. They give us an opportunity to celebrate your child’s successes, discuss academic and behavioral progress, identify areas for continued growth, and work together to ensure every student has the support they need to be successful.

We also ask that students accompany their parent/guardian to conferences whenever possible. Our students are an important part of this partnership! Having them participate allows them to celebrate their accomplishments, reflect on their learning, hear feedback, and take greater ownership of their goals and growth.

When students, families, and teachers work together, our Lions shine even brighter! 🌟🦁 We look forward to connecting with you at Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences!

If you were unable to attend our Annual Title I Informational Meeting, we still want to make sure you have access to the information that was shared!

A few important Title I highlights:

Title I provides federal funding to support student achievement and supplement our existing school programs.
Funding can be used for additional staff, programs, instructional materials, supplies, and academic supports for students.
As a schoolwide Title I school, all Sunrise students can benefit from Title I resources and supports.
Title I also supports family engagement opportunities, because families are essential partners in their child’s education.
Families have a Right to Know about teacher qualifications and are encouraged to be involved in the planning and evaluation of our Title I program.

📊 View the Annual Title I Presentation

You can also access the presentation, our Family Engagement Plan, Home-School Compact, Parent’s Right to Know information, and other Title I resources on our Sunrise Title I webpage.

Thank you for partnering with us to support the success of ALL Sunrise Lions! 🦁❤️💛

🗣️ Your Voice Matters!

Sunrise families, we want your input! ❤️💛 As a Title I school, family feedback is an important part of planning how we support our students, families, and school community.

Please take a few minutes to complete our Title I Family Input Form. Your feedback helps us identify needs, strengthen family engagement opportunities, and make decisions about how Title I resources can best support student success.

👉 Share Your Input Here

We value our partnership with our Sunrise families and appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Together We Shine! 🦁✨

PAWS stands for Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and Safety Matters.

At Sunrise Elementary, we believe that by reinforcing these core values, we create a positive and supportive school environment where every student can thrive. Through our PAWS program, students earn Dojo points for demonstrating these behaviors, helping them to build strong character and succeed both academically and socially. Students can then spend their Dojo points in our classrooms and at the PAWS shop. (If you would like to donate to our PAWS shop, check out our Amazon wishlist.) We’re proud to celebrate our students’ achievements and encourage them to keep showing their PAWSitive behavior every day!

To help maintain a focused and productive learning environment, all toys should remain at home. Toys (including stuffed animals, collectible items, trading cards, figurines, and similar objects) can quickly become distractions for the student who brings them and for classmates. They may also become lost, broken, traded, or cause disagreements.

Fidgets are permitted only when they are being used as a quiet tool to support focus or self-regulation. If a fidget is used for playing, sharing, trading, or distracting others, it becomes a toy and will be confiscated by staff.

Help your child show their PAWS by leaving toys at home!

Practicing Respect: Toys can distract classmates and interrupt learning.
Accepting Responsibility: Students should bring only the supplies and learning tools they need for school.
Working Together: A toy free classroom helps everyone stay focused and learn together.
Safety Matters: Leaving toys at home prevents special items from becoming lost, broken, traded, or involved in disagreements.

Please help your child check their backpack before school and leave toys at home. Protecting instructional time and minimizing distractions helps every Sunrise Lion learn and shine! 🦁❤️💛

🐾 PAWS Store Opening Soon!

We are excited to announce that the PAWS Store will open the first week of September! Students will be able to use their ClassDojo points to shop for fun items and rewards.

The PAWS Store is made possible through generous donations from our school community. Donations are always welcome! If you have new or gently used items that students might enjoy, we would love to put them to good use.

Thank you for partnering with us to help our Lions build positive habits, make good choices, and have a PAWStastic year! 🦁🐾

🍎 Help Sunrise Continue to Secure Important Funding! 🦁❤️💛

Sunrise families, we need your help! While all students at Sunrise automatically receive FREE school meals through CEP, completing this short survey is still very important!

Your participation helps Sunrise document important information that can impact Title I funding, grants, additional teachers and specialists, tutoring, classroom resources, technology, and other programs that directly support our students. 🌟

There may also be benefits for your family, including eligibility for reduced academic or extracurricular fees and other community programs.

📝 Please take a few minutes to complete the survey today:

English: Complete the English Survey
Español: Complete the Spanish Survey

Every completed survey helps us advocate for the resources our Sunrise Lions deserve. Thank you for supporting Sunrise! 🦁✨

🍧 Kona Ice is Coming to Sunrise! 🍧

We're excited to welcome Kona Ice to Sunrise on Tuesday, October 27!

Students in grades 2–5 will have the opportunity to purchase Kona Ice during their lunch recess. Kona Ice will offer one classic size for $5.00, and in compliance with new regulations, all flavors will be dye-free.

Participation is completely optional. If your child would like to purchase a Kona Ice, please send them to school with their $5.00 that morning.

🐾 PAWS Reminder — Accepting Responsibility!
This is a great opportunity for our Lions to practice Accepting Responsibility by coming to school prepared with everything they need for the day. Please avoid dropping off Kona Ice money at the office after the school day begins. Deliveries during the day can interrupt instructional time and require staff to locate students and deliver money to classrooms.

Thank you for helping our Lions come to school prepared and ready for the day. We can't wait for this cool treat! 🍧❤️💛

Oral Health

Good oral health is essential for your child's learning, growth, and overall well-being. Tooth pain can make it hard for children to concentrate in class, leading to missed school days and lower test scores. Nurse Penny encourages these daily dental habits at home to help your child maintain a healthy smile-

Brush Twice a Day using the 2x2 Rule: Clean teeth for two minutes every morning and before bedtime using a fluoride toothpaste.

Floss Daily: Clean between teeth to help prevent cavities.

Visit the Dentist Twice Annually: Schedule routine dental checkups and cleanings twice a year.

Choose Healthy Snacks: TRICK OR TREAT for your Teeth!!! Limit tricky sticky, sugary treats and frequent sweet snacking. Since we have fun events coming up with candy- make sure to limit those sugary treats where possible. Choose a ‘TREAT’ such as chocolate, as chocolate melts in your mouth preventing the sugar from lingering in your teeth. Avoid those ‘TRICK’ treats such as caramels or taffies that stay stuck to your teeth. Encourage drinking plain water throughout the day, especially after meals.

Sunrise has collaborated with Bright Start Initiative, a group dedicated to bringing education to students on dental hygiene. Sunrise students K through 6th will learn about dental hygiene in later October and be provided with a free dental care kit. Thank you Bright Start Initiative!!!

Maricopa County is offering a Cavity Free Program to only Kindergarten, 2nd graders and 6th graders. This is an OPTIONAL program where a dental exam and sealant are provided while the student is at school but REQUIRES Parent permission with forms completed to participate. You can sign up here in the link- https://powerforms.docusign.net/3a4936cb-f68f-4134-a9b2-e8e687924f68?env=na3&acct=8cd69c2c-d297-4bee-aa25-0e10579fd815&accountId=8cd69c2c-d297-4bee-aa25-0e10579fd815&recipientLang=en

If your family needs help finding a local dentist or accessing affordable dental care, please contact Nurse Penny for community resource referrals.

Desert Sky Middle School is hosting a Parent Support Group

Sunrise families are invited to participate in the Parent Support Group hosted by Desert Sky Middle School! This FREE series is open to all Deer Valley families and is designed to help parents and caregivers feel supported, connected, and empowered as they navigate the challenges of raising children. 💛

Each session will provide practical strategies, opportunities to connect with other families, and information on important topics including substance awareness, anxiety and depression, disobedience and respect, and the stress of being a parent or caregiver.

📍 Desert Sky Middle School
5130 W. Grovers, Glendale, AZ 85308

📅 Upcoming Sessions: October 21, November 18, December 16, January 20 & February 17

✨ Light snacks will be provided, and there will be raffling of gift cards at each session!

Sunrise families, you don’t have to do it alone. Learn. Share. Grow. Together. ❤️💛

🐝 October Be Kind Focus: Be Positive! ✨

This October, our Be Kind People Project skill of the month is Be Positive! Being positive doesn’t mean ignoring challenges—it means choosing to focus on what is good, what we can control, and how we respond when things don’t go our way.

At Sunrise, we’re encouraging our Lions to look for the good, use encouraging words, learn from mistakes, and approach challenges with a “we can do this!” attitude. 🦁❤️💛

🏡 Practice “Be Positive” at Home

Families can help build this skill with a few simple habits:

🌟 Share a daily positive: Ask, “What was something good about your day?”
💬 Practice positive self-talk: Turn “I can’t do this” into “I can’t do this yet, but I can keep trying.”
❤️ Look for the good in others: Encourage your child to give someone a genuine compliment or thank-you.
🌱 Reframe challenges: When something goes wrong, ask, “What can we learn from this?” or “What can we do differently next time?”
🙌 Celebrate effort: Recognize perseverance, improvement, and hard work—not just the final result.
😊 Model positivity: Let your child hear you talk through frustrations in a hopeful, solution-focused way.

When school and families work together to model positivity, we help our Lions develop the confidence and resilience to work through challenges and lift up those around them.❤️💛 Together We Shine! 🦁

🦁 Student Council Elections Are Underway! 🗳️

Exciting things are happening at Sunrise! Our Student Council candidates are currently writing speeches, preparing their ideas, and running for officer positions. We love seeing our Lions step up, use their voices, and show their leadership! ❤️💛

Student Council gives students an opportunity to develop leadership skills, represent the student body, share ideas, help plan school activities, promote school spirit, and serve our Sunrise community. It also teaches important life skills such as responsibility, teamwork, communication, and working together toward a common goal.

We are so proud of all of our students who are willing to put themselves out there and run for office. We can't wait to announce our 2026–2027 Student Council Officers soon!

🗳️ Stay tuned... Election results are coming soon! 🦁🌟

Wise Words from Mrs. Patel

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we wrap up Quarter 1, our teachers and students are looking forward to meeting with each of you!

October 8th and 9th are Parent-Teacher Conference Days. Students thrive when families and teachers work together as partners in their success. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity to connect, celebrate your child’s growth, and discuss ways we can continue to support their learning.

Please look out for emails and other communication from your child’s teacher with information about scheduling an appointment.

Thank you for partnering with us and being an important part of our school community! We look forward to seeing you!

Progress & Data

As you attend conferences, please be on the lookout for information from your child’s teacher about their reading progress and current data.

All students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade are being reassessed using DIBELS to provide the most up-to-date information about their reading development. This information helps teachers identify areas of strength and areas where additional support may be needed.

If your child participates in a reading group, we encourage you to support their progress by having them practice reading the materials that are sent home. All students should be reading at home each day. Even a few minutes of reading together can make a meaningful difference!

Thank you for partnering with us to support your child’s growth and success as a reader!

Attendance is the key to success!

Did you know that good attendance sets the foundation for lifelong learning habits? When students are in school consistently, they don't just keep up with lessons-they build confidence, strong routines, and social connections. We do realize that things happen. In the event that your student cannot be at school please call our 24 hour attendance line 602-467-5990, to let us us know your student will be absent. Every day counts! Let's work together to ensure our students are present, prepared, and ready to succeed.

🌟Mrs. Escobedo🌟

It is hard to believe Mrs. Escobedo is still in the beginning stages of her teaching career. She has an incredible ability to connect with students and truly believes that relationships come first—because when students know they are cared for, they are ready to learn, take risks, and grow.

One of her students shared that they knew Mrs. Escobedo cared about them because she made a promise and kept it. That simple statement says so much about who she is as an educator. She shows up for her students each day and pours her heart and soul into helping them succeed. ❤️

Mrs. Escobedo has also done tremendous work transforming her classroom into a Building Thinking Classroom, where students are actively collaborating, problem-solving, discussing their thinking, and engaging deeply in their learning. She embraces challenges, continually looks for ways to grow, and models the same growth mindset she encourages in her students.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Mrs. Escobedo as part of our Sunrise family. Please join us in congratulating our Teacher of the Month, Mrs. Meaka Escobedo! 🦁🌟

Together We Shine! ❤️💛

🍎 Nominate a Sunrise Teacher for the Silver Apple Award!

We know Sunrise is filled with amazing teachers who make a difference every single day! ❤️💛 Here’s your chance to help one of them receive some well-deserved recognition!

Arizona’s Family’s Silver Apple Award recognizes outstanding Arizona educators who inspire students, build meaningful relationships, and go above and beyond for their school communities.

Has a Sunrise teacher made a special impact on your child? 🌟 Tell their story and nominate them for a Silver Apple Award! We would LOVE to see one of our Sunrise teachers surprised with this special honor! 🦁🍎

Nominate a Sunrise Teacher for the Silver Apple Award

Let’s show everyone just how brightly our Sunrise teachers SHINE! ✨

🗳️Voting & Proposition 320: Information for Our Community

As Arizona families prepare for the November 3, 2026 General Election, we want our Sunrise community to have access to factual information about Proposition 320, a statewide ballot measure related to school district budgets.

According to the official ballot language, Proposition 320 would require certain Arizona school districts to spend at least 60% of their operational spending on “direct instructional expenses,” as defined by the Arizona Auditor General. The requirement would apply to school districts with 7,500 or more students in any county, as well as districts operating in counties with populations of 500,000 or more.

It is important to understand that not every service provided directly to students is necessarily classified as a “direct instructional expense.” School district operational spending includes many services that support students and schools, and Proposition 320 specifically directs the Auditor General to define which expenses qualify toward the 60% requirement.

Under the proposition, districts that do not meet the 60% requirement would be required to gradually adjust their spending. The measure also provides for a 25% annual reduction in Classroom Site Fund monies for districts that remain noncompliant, subject to limited waivers authorized by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. A “No” vote would maintain current laws governing school district budgets.

📅 Important 2026 Election Dates: The deadline to register to vote is October 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Early voting and the mailing of early ballots begin October 7, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Families are encouraged to review the official ballot language and information from the Arizona Secretary of State so they can make their own informed decisions.

Official Arizona Proposition 320 Ballot Language
Arizona Secretary of State 2026 Election Information
Arizona Voter Registration Information

Tax Credit Information – Donate to Sunrise!

Tax credit donations can provide DVUSD students with opportunities to participate in afterschool and summer programs, field trips, music and athletic programs or any other extracurricular activity. To donate to Sunrise, you can access online at Tax Credit Donation.

Your tax credit goes directly to the school, not to the state or district.

The Arizona tax credit program (A.R.S. 43-1089.01) allows a tax credit of up to $200 for individuals and up to $400 for married couples, filing jointly, in support of extracurricular activities. The tax credit reduces your tax burden to the state of Arizona, dollar for dollar. For more information on Tax Credit Donations, you can go to AZ State School Tax Credit Info.

To promote a safe and distraction-free learning environment for all students (and in alignment with Arizona House Bill 2484 (2024)), the use of personal electronic devices (PEDs), including cell phones, is strictly regulated for students during the school day. This policy applies to all DVUSD students and is enforced during instructional hours across all areas of the school campus, including classrooms, hallways, restrooms, lunch areas, recess, assemblies, and any school-sponsored activities taking place on campus during the regular school day.

Students are required to keep their personal electronic devices (such as phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and similar items) turned off and stored away throughout the school day unless they have received explicit permission from a DVUSD staff member for instructional or health-related and nurse approved purposes. Use of electronic devices is not allowed in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, lunch areas, or other common spaces during school hours. In addition, messaging, phone calls, and social media use are strictly prohibited during instructional time.

Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are not permitted on campus. Only wired headphones may be used, and only when connected to school-issued Chromebooks for approved instructional activities. This ensures appropriate use and limits classroom distractions.

Students are strongly discouraged from bringing personal electronic devices (including cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and gaming systems) to school or school-sponsored events. The Deer Valley Unified School District is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged personal items.

Misuse of electronic devices may result in disciplinary consequences and may also result in confiscation of the device. Devices that are repeatedly confiscated will be held in the front office until they are retrieved by a parent or guardian.